3 Area Rugs for a Flooring Transformation

You’ve found the perfect apartment: It has a great view, the rooms are the right size and there’s plenty of storage. The only problem is your landlord’s taste in flooring doesn’t exactly mesh with your personal design style. What’s the solution? Area rugs are an easy, quick fix to cover faded wall-to-wall carpeting or ugly linoleum floors. Here are three tips for “renovating” your apartment’s floors with a little rug magic.

Go Big, Bold and Bright

An area rug will cover an unsightly carpet stain and add a huge splash of color to any room. If your lease prevents you from painting your walls a bright, bold color, concentrate on the floor instead! If you’re not sure what size to buy, always think big. Too big is better than too small, because a rug that’s too small often looks disproportionate and out of place. Ideally, your rug should be big enough to fit underneath all of your furniture, even if it only sits under the front legs of your sofa or chairs.

This contemporary rug in a bright floral pattern transforms an average  living space into a room with loads of style and personality. When layering a rug over carpeting, choose a heavier or thicker material to ensure the rug will stay in place. A carpet pad made to keep rugs flat will also help prevent any movement.

Cover Up the Kitchen

Apartment kitchen and dining room floors often pose a bigger problem: old linoleum or sheet vinyl in outdated patterns are hard to cover up. But they don’t have to overpower your design scheme! The trick is to think of the floor as a neutral backdrop—even if it isn’t to your taste. You want to draw the eye away from the offensive flooring with an area rug in a contrasting but complementary color or print.

This modern take on a quilt design becomes the focal point in a dinette, so you no longer focus on the brick pattern sheet vinyl underneath it. The straight lines in the floor contrast well with the organic floral pattern in the rug, making the pairing effortless and balanced.

Even a small area rug near the sink can add a punch of design to a ho-hum vinyl floor. If the rug you choose doesn’t have rubber backing, be sure to purchase a nonslip, gripper rug pad to prevent it from sliding around.

Try a Natural Solution

If you’re lucky enough to have hardwood floors in your new apartment, you’ll want to protect them from the elements, especially near the front door. Protect the wood from moisture and dirt with a neutral, natural rug. For an entryway, try using a 100 percent jute rug. Jute is a natural plant fiber, so it naturally repels dirt—plus it’s a very affordable option. Instead of adding color, this woven rug adds texture, and it makes for a nice transition between rooms.

How to Break in Your New Rug

Area rugs are often stored rolled into a tube, so chances are your new additions may have a few creases and ripples at first. Most likely, they will relax on their own after laying out and being walked on for a few weeks. But if you’re too impatient, here a few methods to help flatten your rug:

• Try reverse-rolling. Fold or roll the rug in the opposite direction from the ripples, which helps to even out the kinks. If you hear crackling noises, stop rolling. You don’t want to damage the backing.
• Place heavy objects on the folds. Use piles of hardcover books or solid furniture, but be aware that round cabinet and chair legs can leave impressions in the rug, too.
• Lay the rug outdoors for a few hours on a sunny, warm (70 to 85 degrees) day. The sun will help relax the tension in the fibers. It will also help loosen up the rug, making it easier to reverse-roll if the folds aren’t entirely gone.
• Use double-sided industrial-strength tape to keep any curled corners in place.
• Vacuuming or steaming can also help smooth creases. Check with a professional before steaming your rug to avoid any damage.

Area rugs are great for covering unsightly and outdated carpet and tiling. If you’re not into your landlord’s design scheme, get creative and use area rugs to disguise and transform unattractive flooring.

 

Merri Cvetan is an interior designer who loves the comfort that area rugs can lend to a room. Her advice on how to use rugs to spruce up a space is based on many years of experience working with clients. To research a wide selection of area rugs available online, you can visit Home Depot’s website.